Refueling assemblies for engines have been developed to enable an operator to quickly and easily refill a fuel tank. However, in some vehicles such as larger diesel trucks, it is often challenging to maintain a refueling nozzle securely with the opening of a truck filler pipe. In particular, the fuel nozzle may disengage from within the filler pipe upstream of the fuel tank due to fuel surges through the nozzle, a vehicle operator forgetting the refueling nozzle is coupled to the vehicle and driving away, etc., creating undesirable and costly fuel spills. Thus, a support structure provided for maintaining a refueling nozzle securely within the inlet of a filler pipe upstream of a fuel tank may be desired.
Further, refueling nozzles are often manufactured in various sizes and varying lengths depending on the type of fluid dispensed. For example, in some cases, if the filler pipe length is not adequate, certain refueling nozzles may not fill a fuel tank of the vehicle to a desired level. Thus, an amount of fuel inside the fuel tank of the motor vehicle is less than the desired level.
Other attempts to address undesirable fit and/or orientation of various nozzles into the filler pipe of a motor vehicle includes including nozzle holding structures welded on an inner surface of the filler pipe. One example approach is shown by Burstein et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 7,665,492. Therein, a nozzle support funnel is provided a top conical section and a bottom smaller opening neck section. The top conical section has a top rim configured to seat over the fuel inlet opening of a truck fuel tank with the top conical section extending into the fuel tank. The funnel is provided with a plurality with openings to allow air to escape the fuel tank, and may also be made of a metal, such as aluminum, which is expensive for manufacturing. Further, the funnel may be welded on an inner surface of the filler pipe to engage with a refueling nozzle, thereby increasing time of manufacturing and added expenses. In some cases, the nozzle support structure of Burstein et al. disposed in the filler pipe may still cause premature shut off of the refueling event due to a lack of features that may securely engage with the refueling nozzle. In this way, inadequate levels of fuel in the motor vehicle may occur.
In one example, the issues described above may be addressed by a refueling system of a vehicle, comprising: an insert coupled to an inner perimeter of a filler pipe, the insert including: an inner surface having a first projection positioned at a first end and a second projection positioned at a second end, with the first projection and second projection each extending radially inward toward an insert central axis; and an aperture positioned at the second end of the insert adjacent to the second projection. In this way, a secure connection may be provided between a refueling nozzle and the fuel tank during a refueling event, for example, to effectively and rapidly supply fuel to a fuel system, and to distinguish gasoline from diesel fuel nozzles.
As one example, the first end is positioned at an outer end of the filler pipe when the insert is coupled to the filler pipe. The insert may include a third projection positioned on the inner surface of the insert adjacent to the second projection at the second end of the insert, with the second projection positioned between the first end and the second end. Additionally, each of the projections may form apertures, either by extending the projections in a direction parallel to a central axis of the insert, or by providing a flow path through each projection. As a result, the projections and apertures may remove fuel flow restriction while retaining structural durability to provide guidance, constraint, and fastened engagement of the refueling nozzle to the filler pipe during refueling events, thus, reducing risk of premature shut off.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.
FIGS. 2-20 are drawn approximately to scale, though other relative dimensions may be used.